Working Visas for Teaching English Abroad

TEFL Visas

If you are from North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or the EU, you can come to the TEFL Worldwide Prague course on your passport. Other nationalities please check here to see if you need a visa to enter the Czech Republic or Schengen Zone.

The next step is getting the proper working permit or business license and visa for teaching English abroad.

Requirements vary from country to country, but in most cases the language school employer will provide you with the necessary work permit and support needed in order to apply for a long-term visa.

As we are based in the Czech Republic we can provide you with information on how to obtain a Trade License and Visa for the Czech Republic. We work closely with and can recommend some Visa Agencies here in Prague that can assist you in the entire process.

Requirements for working in the Czech Republic

Passport

Your passport must be valid for at least 9 months when you go to apply for the Visa, (which can be several weeks or more after the course). The passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and needs to contain at least two blank consecutive pages.

YOU MUST APPLY FOR YOUR VISA WITHIN 90 DAYS OF ENTERING THE SCHENGEN AREA.

As a non-EU citizen, you are allowed into the Schengen Area (read more about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area) as a tourist for 90 days. The first 30 days will be spent on the course. Once the course is over, you will then begin the process of applying for your long term Visa and your Živnostenský List to work. The Živnostenský List is basically a trade license that allows you to work as a freelance teacher for as many schools or students as you would like. The Visa and Živno are based off of each other, you cannot get one without the other.

We recommend using a Visa agency for this process to ensure that everything goes smoothly. We can recommend some to you on the course.

Bank Letter

You will need to bring a bank letter or statement stating that you have 110,000 CZK in the account. This account must be in your name only. Please make sure the document is less than 3 months old, contains the date, account #, and amount as well.

Proof of Accommodation

Next, you need to secure housing. Once you have found your apartment you will have the owner/owners of the flat sign a couple documents allowing you to live there and technically use your flat as your “business address” for your Živno. (So it is important that you find a landlord that is the owner of the flat and willing to sign the documents allowing you to use the address as a business address and also a residential address. The Visa agency can verify who the owners are so consult with them before signing a lease. For the business address there is also the option to rent a virtual address.) Don’t worry, the Visa agency has the information on how to do all of this!

Business address appx: 1,307kc

Dummy personal address appx: 3,000Kc

Visa Application

Once you have a place to live and you have your documents in order then you will make an appointment with a Czech Embassy outside of the Czech Republic. Usually most people will go to either Vienna or Berlin because they are the closest and this is where the Visa agency recommends that you go. You will go there to apply for the Visa and they will interview you about your reasoning for being in the Czech Republic.

Health Insurance

Once your Visa is issued, you will be required to purchase commercial Czech Health Insurance and then you go back to the Embassy to pick up the Visa. Non-Americans have to purchase insurance for the duration of the Visa. The visa agency has a provider of insurance. Americans are required to pay into the National Healthcare system of the Czech Republic.

Next you will register with the foreign police and then finalize your Živno. We recommend that you use a Visa assistance company to do this entire process as the requirements change from time to time and a fluent Czech speaker is needed. It would be difficult for you to deal with all of the bureaucracy on your own. Again, we have a company that we will recommend to you.

Other Requirements

Everyone needs a Criminal Background Check with an Apostille/Superlegalization. This must not be older than 3 months when you go to apply for the Trade License.

If you have a visa in your passport that is not a tourist Visa from the past 3 years, you’ll need a Criminal Background Check with an apostille/ Superlegalization from that country as well.

US Citizens

– Bank letter, min 110000kc - CBC (Criminal Background Check) You will need to sign an Affadavit at the US Embassy here in Prague.

Fingerprints submitted to the RCMP, then signed off by the Canadian department of Justice, then super-legalized by the Czech Embassy in Ottawa. Please bring this with you as it is very expensive and time consuming to acquire from CZ. It can only be 3 months old by the time you submit for your trade license.

EU Citizens

– only stuff once you are here (You will need a Trade License but not a Visa)

Other (incl. AUS)

– Bank letter, min 110000kc - An apostilled Criminal Background Check

Australian embassy offers apostille services

-Check with your local embassy in Prague if they offer apostille services (ie: Mexican embassy does not)

(Americans! You only need to purchase one month of commercial health insurance when you go to apply. Check with the visa agency on options. If you are American, you are also obliged (by US tax law) to pay into the national health insurance system in the Czech Republic. Therefore, once you receive your Visa, you will need to register and make payments of appx. 2024kc/month to the national health insurance, which covers almost everything for you at no extra cost.)

* Notary: 30 CZK/page

* Registration by for the Social, trade license, and Financial Office: Included with the Visa Service

This may seem like a lot all at once, but we have many graduates stay in Prague each month and they go through this process without any problems! It’s a step by step process and the Visa Agencies help you every step of the way!

PRICING for Visa, Trade License and Agency Assistance

The price for the Visa, Trade License and Visa Agency Services is approximately 12,000 – 17,000 CZK. Also consider money to travel to Vienna or Berlin to apply for your visa. There are many affordable tickets via bus or train. If you choose to stay, consider using a hostel or Airbnb room to save money. Convert the Currencies at www.xe.com